[Julia58Luke]

Hello!

Today marks one year as a PR for me, which means one step closer to citizenship! I'm here on a partner visa (820/801) and I started the process on a tourist visa. During that time I submitted my application and went on a bridging visa after the three month tourist visa.

I know I can count the time on the bridging visa towards the four year requirement for citizenship. I'm just wondering if anyone knows/has experience of also counting the three months on a tourist visa?

Thanks a lot for your help and input!

Julia

 

[paulhand]

if anyone knows/has experience of also counting the three months on a tourist visa

That‘s fine.

 

[Veronique en Australie]

Hi Julia,
Here was my timeframe :
30JAN2017-26APR2017 = came to Australia on a tourist visa.
02JAN2018-26MAR2018 = same
26OCT2018 = came on a tourist visa and applied for 820/801 straight away.
21SEP2020 = got PR
By being here on a valid visa in January 2017, my lawful residency started then. And the 3 months of tourist visa in 2018 counted for my residency time as well.
So I was not away from the country more than 12months from 21SEP2017 to 21SEP2021 and not more than 90 days from the 21SEP2020 to 21SEP2021 and my citizenship application was accepted on the 21st of September 2021 without any problem.
So it'll work for you.

 

[Noninino]

Hi Julia,
Here was my timeframe :
30JAN2017-26APR2017 = came to Australia on a tourist visa.
02JAN2018-26MAR2018 = same
26OCT2018 = came on a tourist visa and applied for 820/801 straight away.
21SEP2020 = got PR
By being here on a valid visa in January 2017, my lawful residency started then. And the 3 months of tourist visa in 2018 counted for my residency time as well.
So I was not away from the country more than 12months from 21SEP2017 to 21SEP2021 and not more than 90 days from the 21SEP2020 to 21SEP2021 and my citizenship application was accepted on the 21st of September 2021 without any problem.
So it'll work for you.

Did you mean to say that your Application was successfully submitted in January 2021 being 4 years since you landed in Australia on a tourist Visa, correct?

You mentioned 21 Sept 2017, why does this date matter if your lawful residency date was on 30JAN2017?

 

[Veronique en Australie]

Hi,
What's counts is the 4 years before you apply for citizenship.
You have to be lawfully resident for 4 years and have had your PR for a year.
Also in those 4years, you have to not be away for more than 12 months and no more that 90 days in the last year.
I got my PR on the 21st of September 2020. I was then eligible to apply for citizenship on the 21st of September 2021, provided I satisfied all the conditions.
That's when the fact that the time I spent here on a visitor visa was important as it started the clock for lawful résidence.
If I've never been in Australia before October 2018, I could only applied in October 2022, but because I came here in 2017, the clock started then, even if the first visits were on a visitor visa.
Do you understand?

 

[hopeimmi]

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